Founded 1914 - Incorporated 1933
Colors - Green & White
Flower - Carnation
Meetings - First Monday of Month, February through December
Mackinaw Womans Club, Inc.
310 E. Jamet
PO Box 356
Mackinaw City, MI 49701
The Mackinaw Woman's Club is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit,
tax exempt charitable organization registered with the State of Michigan.
We donate to local organizations which promote education, literary, music, art, cultural, and similar endeavors as part of our philanthropic program.
Mission Statement
The purpose of this club shall be "to create an organized center of action among women for cooperation in literary, educational and philanthropic work;
for the study thereof, and for general culture,
for the promotion of practical interest in science, art,
literature, and music for the betterment of Mackinaw"
We provide the means to send K - 5 elementary grades to the beautiful Cheboygan Opera House in March to attend a professional stage production attuned to children, some of whom may never have had the opportunity to see one before. The Youth Theatre stories portrayed teach a valuable lesson to youngsters.
We have also contributed to "Closeup," the program which enables
a high school class to travel to Washington, D. C.,
to see our government in action,
including our state representatives and senators.
These students overwhelmingly name this project
as their most important and interesting
in their final comments as graduating seniors.
The club awards a scholarship annually to a graduating senior,
whom we consider has participated in community events,
has been involved in community service,
displays a record of balanced overall activity in academics
and athletics, and a high GPA, as well as a goal of realistic values
for his or her future. This scholarship is the result of
our investment in the Mackinaw Woman's Club Fund
in the Straits Area Community Foundation,
which supports grants for Cheboygan County and Mackinaw City.
This award is the "Lucy Gridley Award," (a true Mackinaw Woman!)
who was the daughter of an early past president, Luella Jackson.
Annually we have two major fund-raisers - a 4th of July outdoor
Strawberry Social on the Marina Lawn, and the Mackinac Island Swim the second Sunday in August - from which the proceeds
allow us to contribute to several worthy
causes and organizations.
We Support:
Mackinaw Chamber of Commerce's "Music in Mackinaw" Program
Mackinaw City Area Arts Council
Mackinaw Area Public Library
Mackinaw Area Public Schools (Special Needs and School Supplies)
Mackinaw Area Public Schools Close Up Trip (every other year)
Mackinaw Band Boosters
Mackinaw Area Historical Society
Mackinaw Straits Raptor Watch
Diane Peppler Women's Resource Center, Sault Ste. Marie
Straits Area Food Pantry
We have a long list of requests for other donations,
which is rotated on an annual basis, as we are able.
We also hold smaller fund-raisers such as bake sales,
plant sales, occasional rummage sales, craft items, etc.
to supplement our income as needed to provide
maintenance and upkeep of our clubhouse.
We publish a quarterly newsletter, the "Tattler,"
to keep members informed of what we, as a club,
have accomplished and what plans are ahead
for the future of the club.
We established this web site to dispense information.
The address is www.MackinawWomansClub.org.
Every May we hold a Past Presidents Dinner to honor our past presidents
and review our long-established history from 1914 to the present.
We also participate in the annual "Grand Parade"
just before the "Fort Michilimackinac Pageant Re-enactment"
over Memorial weekend.
In the 6 months of February, March, April, June,
October, and November, we try to present programs
of various interests with speakers whose expertise helps
to educate and inform the members on timely subjects.
Some of these are presented in local restaurants,
or in our own clubhouse. Occasionally, the club as a whole
may take a field trip to a particular destination.
January is a vacation month. In September
we will have a soup, salad,or sandwich luncheon
at the clubhouse and enjoy either a program,
or play games, or just socialize.
In December, we celebrate with a Christmas party
for the members before we close our club year.
This has been either a potluck at the clubhouse,
or dinner in a local or area restaurant.
While we are serious about what we accomplish,
we are a fun-loving group, but we do not sit around
constantly with our "pinkie" fingers in the air
as we occasionally have a cup of tea.
We enjoy the company of our sister members
as we chat over refreshments provided by our hostesses
following programs, and we laugh with great gusto.
Mackinaw Woman’s Club 2021
accomplishments
1. Welcomed five new members
2. Held three blood drives and exceeded set goals
3. Repaired two outside window sills, removed old caulk, re-caulked around all outside
windows
4. Removed interior window trim and old window weights
5. Insulated around windows
6. Replaced window trim, scraped and
repainted window trim
7. Raised $802 from annual plant sale
8. Memorial funds used to purchase two park benches; one for clubhouse lawn and the second in Old School Park
9. Installed Little Free Library, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for it, and stocked it
10. Donated $100 to Icebreaker Mackinaw women’s exhibit
11. Gave $500 scholarship to Jillian Lidy
12. Betty Waak continues cataloguing historical material
13. Strawberry Social raised $1,388
14. Provided craft items for library’s summer reading program
15. Participated in Heritage Village Festival with historical book cart
16. Held two meetings in clubhouse backyard 17. Baked 600 cookies and volunteered for Mackinac Island Swim Event
18. Received $16,700 from swim event
19. Donated sewing kits to library’s sewing club 20. Front steps of clubhouse repainted
21. Solar/motion lights installed on steps 22. Book club established
23. Updated electrical outlets
24. Installed exit lights
25. Closet cleaned out
26. New gas meter installed
27. Re-caulked around chimney
(2021 Accomplishments continued)
28. Clubhouse downspouts cleaned
29. Installed plastic window-well covers 30. Repaired water-damaged ceiling in group room
31. Participated in Trunk or Treat
32. Insulated clubhouse walls and ceiling 33. Purchased new Christmas tree
34. Recognized Joann Leal for her years of service as club treasurer and antique show chair
35. Repaired ceiling
36. Insulated clubhouse
37. Donated to five nonprofits with profits from swim event:
a. Church of the Straits Food Pantry
b. Diane Peppler Resource Center
c. Mackinaw Area Public Library
d. Mackinaw Public School special
education arts supply
e. Mackinaw Area Historical Society
38. Provided salads for Ron Gwilt’s funeral luncheon
39. Recognized past presidents with the annual dinner
40. Christmas party was attended by 17 members
41. Donna Falor received the Community Excellence Award for Hospitality Leadership Award from the Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce
42. Mary Ann Moore was awarded the Citizen of the Year Community Excellence Award from the Mackinaw Area Chamber of
Commerce
43. The Mackinaw Woman’s Club was
recognized as the Organization of the Year during the Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce’s Community Excellence Awards ceremony
44. Made and sent Valentines cards and candy to the residents at Pine Crest.